Folding fan



March 23 1926.

E. TABOR FOLDING FAN Filed May 29. 19,25 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STTS 1,577,502 ATENT. OFFICE.

EDWARD P. TABOR. 0F VJORCE$TEB, MASSACHUSETTS.

FOLDING FAN.

Application filed May'29,'1925. Serial No. 33,743.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD P. TABOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of vVorcester and State of llfassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Folding Fan, of which the following is a s ecification.

This inventlon relates to foldable or collapsible fans for the use of travelers or for home use. 7 I

The object of the invention is to provide a fan of this character which when not in use may be folded into a small compact pack age to occupy a minimum amount of space and which may be readily opened up for use when desired.

With the foregoingand other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of the fan constructed in accordance with this invention shown in open position in full lines and in collapsed position in dotted lines; I

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof with the fan in open operative position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fi 1; and

Fig. 1 is a etail end elevation.

In the embodiment illustrated a motor 1 is shown housed within a cylindrical shell or casing 2 which ma be constructed of any suitable material an which operates as a protective cover for the fan blades and guards when not in use.

A hinged leg 3 is secured to the front end of the shell 2 while a removable leg 4 extends through an opening 5 in the rear of shell 2 and is secured to the motor 1 by a bolt 6 equipped with a wing nut 7.

Thecover or shell 2 is slidable over the motor 1 and is equipped with a spring pressed latch 8 having a nose 9 which is esigned to extend through apertures in the casing and to engage corresponding apertures in the motor casing as is shown clearly in Fig. 1 for locking the casing in projected or retracted position.

The fan shaft 10 which is operated by themotor projects beyond the front end of the motor and carries thereon a hub 11 having radiating arms 12, four of which are 69 shown and to which the fan blades 13 are hingedly connected. These arms 12 have seats in their front faces and in their ends to receive the fan blades so as to permit them to swing forwardly into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 when not in use and when opened up for use they will abut against the rear walls of these seats and hold them in position for use.

To hold the fan blades in operative position within their seats, a slidable blade support 14 is mounted on the shaft 10 in front of the hubll and is equipped on its inner end with radiating arms 15 four being here shown corresponding to the number of fan blades used. These arms 15 have longitu dinally, extending slots or grooves 16 in their faces which are opposed to the blades 13 so as to receive therein the edges of the blades as is shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. This sleeve or collar 14 is yieldably held engaged with the fan blades by means of a coiled spring 17 located on the outer end of shaft 10 between the end of the collar 14: and a cap 18 which is secured in adjusted position by a nut 19.

The fan blade supporting collar or sleeve 14 is both rotatable and slidable on the shaft 10 and is held in adjusted position by the nut 19 and the spring 17 so that when it is desired to collapse the fan this collar is moved outwardly and turned to permit the blades to swing downwardly into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

A plurality of fan blade guards 20 are hinged to a casting 21 carried by the front end of the motor and when the casing 2 is slipped backward into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 these guards open up into the position shown in said Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2. WVhen the casing 2 is moved for ward they fold downwardly into the easing into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1.

In the use of this collapsible fan the legs or supports 3 and 4 may be folded to lie fiat against the casing and when the spring pressed latch or catch 8 is disengaged from the casing and the casing slipped forwardly into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 the fan blades and the guards 20 will fold forwardly into the dotted line position and the spring pressed catch 8 is then released and engaged again with the motor which holds the casing in this position. The cylindrical casing may then be stored in a very small space.

When it is desired to use the fan the above operation is reversed.

I claim 1. A collapsible fan comprising a shell, a motor mounted in said shell and on Which the shell is slidable, foldabl-e fan blades carried at the front end of the motor, means for holding said blades in open position when the casing is retracted, and means for holding the casing in projected and retracted position.

2. In a collapsible electric fan, the combination of a motor, a shell or casing slidably mounted on and encompassing said motor, spring pressed latches for holding said casing in projected or retracted position, foldable fan blades mounted at the front ends of the motor, and yieldable means for holding said blades in open position.

3. A collapsible electric fan comprising a motor, an operating shaft extending forwardly therefrom, a hub mounted on said shaft and having fan blades radiating therefrom, said blades being foldable, a spring pressed collar mounted on said shaft and having fingers to engage said bladesto hold them in open position, said collar beingmovable to disengage said fingers from said blades, and a casing slidable on said motor and adapted to move forwardly, whereby the blades are folded therein and held in col lapsed position.

4:. A collapsible electric fan comprising a motor, a shell slidably mounted on said motor and encompassing it, an operating shaft projecting forwardly from said motor, pivotally mounted fan blades carried by said shaft, means for limiting the opening move ment of said blades, and a longitudinally slidable rotatable collar mounted on said shaft and having fingers provided with seats to engage said blades to hold them against folding movement in forward position, and yieldable means for holding said fingers engaged with said blades.

5. In a fan of the class described, amotor, a shell encompassing said motor and slidable longitudinally thereof, means for holding said shell in projected and retracted position, foldable fan blades carried by said motor, and adapted to be housed Within said shell when in projected position, and foldable fan blade guards also mounted in front of said motor and adapted to be folded within the casing in its projected position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

EDWARD P. TABOR. 

